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Topic: Eastern Catholic converts (Read 6113 times)

Does regular everyday Eastern Catholic parishes receive any converts? Internet seems to be filled with stories about conversions to Roman Catholicism and how some RCs found their way to Eastern Catholicism but I haven't stumbled any stories like "Yay! Catholicism is awesome so I decided to join a Chaldean parish."

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But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.Leviticus 19:34

Does regular everyday Eastern Catholic parishes receive any converts? Internet seems to be filled with stories about conversions to Roman Catholicism and how some RCs found their way to Eastern Catholicism but I haven't stumbled any stories like "Yay! Catholicism is awesome so I decided to join a Chaldean parish."

Guess it depends where. In Ukraine, Greek Catholicism is the dominant form of being in communion with Rome. And they do receive converts.

Does regular everyday Eastern Catholic parishes receive any converts? Internet seems to be filled with stories about conversions to Roman Catholicism and how some RCs found their way to Eastern Catholicism but I haven't stumbled any stories like "Yay! Catholicism is awesome so I decided to join a Chaldean parish."

I know of a couple, but they're very quiet about it, and don't spend much time online. (Strangely enough, there are still people in the world who don't feel the need to share their every thought on social networking sites. Weirdos. )

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"Sometimes, you just gotta say, 'OK, I still have nine live, two-headed animals' and move on.'' (owner of Coney Island freak show, upon learning he'd been outbid on a 5-legged puppy)

I know of a couple, but they're very quiet about it, and don't spend much time online. (Strangely enough, there are still people in the world who don't feel the need to share their every thought on social networking sites. Weirdos. )

That is weird. (If it's true; we shouldn't rule out the possibility that they're just pretending.)

Does regular everyday Eastern Catholic parishes receive any converts? Internet seems to be filled with stories about conversions to Roman Catholicism and how some RCs found their way to Eastern Catholicism but I haven't stumbled any stories like "Yay! Catholicism is awesome so I decided to join a Chaldean parish."

I've seen some posting on various forums, but that probably doesn't speak for the average parish.

I know of a couple, but they're very quiet about it, and don't spend much time online. (Strangely enough, there are still people in the world who don't feel the need to share their every thought on social networking sites. Weirdos. )

That is weird. (If it's true; we shouldn't rule out the possibility that they're just pretending.)

You're joking ... right? I have trouble telling, sometimes.

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"Sometimes, you just gotta say, 'OK, I still have nine live, two-headed animals' and move on.'' (owner of Coney Island freak show, upon learning he'd been outbid on a 5-legged puppy)

I know of a couple, but they're very quiet about it, and don't spend much time online. (Strangely enough, there are still people in the world who don't feel the need to share their every thought on social networking sites. Weirdos. )

That is weird. (If it's true; we shouldn't rule out the possibility that they're just pretending.)

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

You do know there are 7 different rites in the Catholic Church, and that not everyone who's in communion with Rome is (or is required to be) Latin Rite ... ?

« Last Edit: September 01, 2013, 09:52:08 PM by theistgal »

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"Sometimes, you just gotta say, 'OK, I still have nine live, two-headed animals' and move on.'' (owner of Coney Island freak show, upon learning he'd been outbid on a 5-legged puppy)

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

You do know there are 7 different rites in the Catholic Church, and that not everyone who's in communion with Rome is (or is required to be) Latin Rite ... ?

No, I didn't. Since you asked this, I am going to assume it is a precursor to an explanation. I know very little about Eastern Catholics.

Does regular everyday Eastern Catholic parishes receive any converts? Internet seems to be filled with stories about conversions to Roman Catholicism and how some RCs found their way to Eastern Catholicism but I haven't stumbled any stories like "Yay! Catholicism is awesome so I decided to join a Chaldean parish."

I know of a couple, but they're very quiet about it, and don't spend much time online. (Strangely enough, there are still people in the world who don't feel the need to share their every thought on social networking sites. Weirdos. )

I actually just met a couple recently that are Ruthenian Catholics. The guy was in RCIA in Latin parish, but IIRC stopped and was eventually received into his significant other's EC parish. Either way he went from Protestant to Eastern Catholic (not just as a marriage-conversion either, even if introduced through her), so more or less fits the OP.

Does regular everyday Eastern Catholic parishes receive any converts? Internet seems to be filled with stories about conversions to Roman Catholicism and how some RCs found their way to Eastern Catholicism but I haven't stumbled any stories like "Yay! Catholicism is awesome so I decided to join a Chaldean parish."

Guess it depends where. In Ukraine, Greek Catholicism is the dominant form of being in communion with Rome. And they do receive converts.

That they do. And push for-despite what is said to the contrary.

It dominants only the three core UGCC oblasts. Elsewhere in Ukraine, their Latin rite dominates their communion, IRCC (I'm too tired at present to check).

« Last Edit: September 01, 2013, 11:58:19 PM by ialmisry »

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Question a friend, perhaps he did not do it; but if he did anything so that he may do it no more.A hasty quarrel kindles fire,and urgent strife sheds blood.If you blow on a spark, it will glow;if you spit on it, it will be put out; and both come out of your mouth

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

Soooooooo? No one has anything... Alrighty then.

What does that question even mean? What is "full Catholic" or "full Orthodox"?

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

Soooooooo? No one has anything... Alrighty then.

What does that question even mean? What is "full Catholic" or "full Orthodox"?

It means nothing. Disregard. It was a horrible mistake for me to attempt to understand something and ask for clarification here. I should have known better.

Does regular everyday Eastern Catholic parishes receive any converts? Internet seems to be filled with stories about conversions to Roman Catholicism and how some RCs found their way to Eastern Catholicism but I haven't stumbled any stories like "Yay! Catholicism is awesome so I decided to join a Chaldean parish."

Guess it depends where. In Ukraine, Greek Catholicism is the dominant form of being in communion with Rome. And they do receive converts.

That they do. And push for-despite what is said to the contrary.

It dominants only the three core UGCC oblasts. Elsewhere in Ukraine, their Latin rite dominates their communion, IRCC (I'm too tired at present to check).

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who can watch the watchmen?"No one is paying attention to your post reports"Why do posters that claim to have me blocked keep sending me pms and responding to my posts? That makes no sense.

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

If an EO or an OO were to convert to Catholicism, he/she is expected to join the corresponding Eastern/Oriental Catholic Church and maintain his rite - this is the default canonical procedure. Nevertheless, lots of people would get a dispensation from the bishop and join the Latin rite. This is what most Romanian converts to Catholicism do anyway, despite the dwindling numbers of the Greek-Catholics here.

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

If an EO or an OO were to convert to Catholicism, he/she is expected to join the corresponding Eastern/Oriental Catholic Church and maintain his rite - this is the default canonical procedure. Nevertheless, lots of people would get a dispensation from the bishop and join the Latin rite. This is what most Romanian converts to Catholicism do anyway, despite the dwindling numbers of the Greek-Catholics here.

Because they hate being Orthodox/the Byzantine rite. They see the Latin Novus Ordo rite as more "civilized" and convenient, basically because services are shorter and less repetitious.

These folks are often the parvenu type. For them, whatever is foreign and modern is better than the indigenous and traditional alternative.

Yeah, grass is always greener/familiarity breeds contempt types. Interesting, they all go to the Vatican. Not many go Protestant (to be clear, many become Protestant, relatively speaking, but for theological reasons. In fact, a lot of Protestant Romanians have a lot of friction with their overseas brethren trying to convert them to the American way, to the point of visiting missionaries having separate communities from their correligionists in Romania).

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Question a friend, perhaps he did not do it; but if he did anything so that he may do it no more.A hasty quarrel kindles fire,and urgent strife sheds blood.If you blow on a spark, it will glow;if you spit on it, it will be put out; and both come out of your mouth

While not strictly speaking converting, (although some EC will take issue) , Latin Rite RCC s seeking to join an EC rite parish often have great difficulties in obtaining the paperwork from their Latin ordinary bishop to do so. I have heard that the same bishops are not as "picky" in receiving transferring ECs.

It dominants only the three core UGCC oblasts. Elsewhere in Ukraine, their Latin rite dominates their communion, IRCC (I'm too tired at present to check).

"Dominate" is not just a numerical thing. The Latin Rite in Ukraine concentrates on ministry for ethnic minorites, such as Poles and Hungarians, as well as providing English speaking masses for foreigners living there. The UGCC on the other hand actively reaches out to the unchurched (i.e. baptized Orthodox but not regularly attending) all over the country. They also get much more media coverage.

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

That presupposes that one must be Latin to be fully Catholic or Byzantine to be fully Orthodox, something that both Eastern Catholics and Western Orthodox reject.

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

That presupposes that one must be Latin to be fully Catholic or Byzantine to be fully Orthodox, something that both Eastern Catholics and Western Orthodox reject.

Deacon, I believe Kerdy was using the term "full" in the sense of "representing the typical example," not in the sense of lessening the "Catholicness" of Eastern Catholics.

I don't know if Kerdy has seen Tropic Thunder, but I'm pretty sure this usage of the word "full" was popularized in that film.

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

They're all Roman Catholics, just not Roman Rite. Maybe they didn't like the Roman Rite. Maybe in their area, there were only guitar masses. Perhaps the altar girls were distracting.

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If you spend long enough on this forum, you'll come away with all sorts of weird, untrue ideas of Orthodox Christianity.

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I would suggest most persons in general avoid any question beginning with why.

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

That presupposes that one must be Latin to be fully Catholic or Byzantine to be fully Orthodox, something that both Eastern Catholics and Western Orthodox reject.

Deacon, I believe Kerdy was using the term "full" in the sense of "representing the typical example," not in the sense of lessening the "Catholicness" of Eastern Catholics.

I don't know if Kerdy has seen Tropic Thunder, but I'm pretty sure this usage of the word "full" was popularized in that film.

In this sense, "full Catholic" is akin to going all out in the most typical way; pray the rosary 100 times a dya, order your deluxe set of the Summa, tune to EWTN 24/7, etc.

Although I've been trying to cut down on my OCnet participation, after seeing this explanation I feel a need to ask: if that's what Kerdy means, why doesn't he say so himself? Why the need to guess / read his mind?

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

They're all Roman Catholics, just not Roman Rite.

That depends on how you define "Roman Catholics" ... it can, in fact, be short for "Roman-Rite Catholics".

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

I'm sure there are quite a few Eastern Catholics that would be offended by the notion that they are not fully Catholic.

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

I'm sure there are quite a few Eastern Catholics that would be offended by the notion that they are not fully Catholic.

But even to this day, if pressed, many ECs will concede that there more than a few Roman Catholics who view them that way. Over the years, I have heard from several EC priests who attended seminary in Rome that such an attitude was common there outside of the Orientale.

I admit a certain bias, but there are times when I don't get their fierce loyalty to Rome.

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

I'm sure there are quite a few Eastern Catholics that would be offended by the notion that they are not fully Catholic.

But even to this day, if pressed, many ECs will concede that there more than a few Roman Catholics who view them that way. Over the years, I have heard from several EC priests who attended seminary in Rome that such an attitude was common there outside of the Orientale.

I admit a certain bias, but there are times when I don't get their fierce loyalty to Rome.

You don't even have to press me. For myself, I cannot allow the ignorance of Latin Catholics or their poor treatment of us at times to influence my faith or loyalty which is based on my understanding of the Gospel.

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

Soooooooo? No one has anything... Alrighty then.

What does that question even mean? What is "full Catholic" or "full Orthodox"?

It means nothing. Disregard. It was a horrible mistake for me to attempt to understand something and ask for clarification here. I should have known better.

Kerdy, I would be more than happy to answer your question, but I'm just a bit confused about what you are asking. Can you elaborate a bit on what you mean by "Full Catholic?"

Thanks

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"For, by its immensity, the divine substance surpasses every form that our intellect reaches. Thus we are unable to apprehend it by knowing what it is. Yet we are able to have some knowledge of it by knowing what it is not." - St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa contra gentiles, I, 14.

I do not understand why a person would not go full Catholic or Orthodox. What causes a person to want to be in communion with Rome but not be Roman Catholic or not want to be Roman Catholic yet be in communion with Rome?

That presupposes that one must be Latin to be fully Catholic or Byzantine to be fully Orthodox, something that both Eastern Catholics and Western Orthodox reject.

Deacon, I believe Kerdy was using the term "full" in the sense of "representing the typical example," not in the sense of lessening the "Catholicness" of Eastern Catholics.

I don't know if Kerdy has seen Tropic Thunder, but I'm pretty sure this usage of the word "full" was popularized in that film.

In this sense, "full Catholic" is akin to going all out in the most typical way; pray the rosary 100 times a dya, order your deluxe set of the Summa, tune to EWTN 24/7, etc.

Although I've been trying to cut down on my OCnet participation, after seeing this explanation I feel a need to ask: if that's what Kerdy means, why doesn't he say so himself? Why the need to guess / read his mind?

I suppose it's really not my place to say what he meant, but I thought I would infer since that's how I've seen the phrase "full x" used in common parlance. It was more of an observation than a definitive response to Deacon on Kerdy's behalf.

"For, by its immensity, the divine substance surpasses every form that our intellect reaches. Thus we are unable to apprehend it by knowing what it is. Yet we are able to have some knowledge of it by knowing what it is not." - St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa contra gentiles, I, 14.

Not going to put down Kerdy's comments at all. In fact, IMHO it just reiterates how little both Orthodox and Catholics really know about what Eastern Catholicism is all about and who they are.

Latin Catholics, sure (when I was a Latin, even the people who told me to "heck them out" after I got tired of Latin shenanigans more or less painted them as Latin Catholics with a nifty 'Eastern' liturgy), but Orthodox? Eastern Catholic churches wouldn't exist if it weren't for Orthodoxy.

Not going to put down Kerdy's comments at all. In fact, IMHO it just reiterates how little both Orthodox and Catholics really know about what Eastern Catholicism is all about and who they are.

Latin Catholics, sure (when I was a Latin, even the people who told me to "heck them out" after I got tired of Latin shenanigans more or less painted them as Latin Catholics with a nifty 'Eastern' liturgy), but Orthodox? Eastern Catholic churches wouldn't exist if it weren't for Orthodoxy.

That may well be true. But in my experience here at OC.net, there are quite a few EOs (like Kerdy) who can't seem to get their mind around why ECs exist at all.

(And it won't surprise me a bit if someone responds to this with some variation of "And they shouldn't!" - thus proving my point. )

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"Sometimes, you just gotta say, 'OK, I still have nine live, two-headed animals' and move on.'' (owner of Coney Island freak show, upon learning he'd been outbid on a 5-legged puppy)

I've met many Orthodox who had no idea there were Catholics who looked and prayed as they do. They were Greeks. Perhaps groups without major unions don't have us on their radar.

I think that is true among Greeks in particular. I'm not sure about Russians as most who traditionally identified as "Russian Orthodox" in the USA were not Great Russians ethnically, but rather came from the regions on the Russian/Polish/Hungarian frontiers where large numbers of Eastern Catholics resided at the end of the 19th century. I suspect the further east one went from Lviv or Uzhorod, the less likely one was to have any real knowledge of or contact with Eastern Catholics.

Not going to put down Kerdy's comments at all. In fact, IMHO it just reiterates how little both Orthodox and Catholics really know about what Eastern Catholicism is all about and who they are.

Latin Catholics, sure (when I was a Latin, even the people who told me to "heck them out" after I got tired of Latin shenanigans more or less painted them as Latin Catholics with a nifty 'Eastern' liturgy), but Orthodox? Eastern Catholic churches wouldn't exist if it weren't for Orthodoxy.

That may well be true. But in my experience here at OC.net, there are quite a few EOs (like Kerdy) who can't seem to get their mind around why ECs exist at all.

(And it won't surprise me a bit if someone responds to this with some variation of "And they shouldn't!" - thus proving my point. )

Not going to put down Kerdy's comments at all. In fact, IMHO it just reiterates how little both Orthodox and Catholics really know about what Eastern Catholicism is all about and who they are.

Latin Catholics, sure (when I was a Latin, even the people who told me to "heck them out" after I got tired of Latin shenanigans more or less painted them as Latin Catholics with a nifty 'Eastern' liturgy), but Orthodox? Eastern Catholic churches wouldn't exist if it weren't for Orthodoxy.

That may well be true. But in my experience here at OC.net, there are quite a few EOs (like Kerdy) who can't seem to get their mind around why ECs exist at all.

(And it won't surprise me a bit if someone responds to this with some variation of "And they shouldn't!" - thus proving my point. )

And they shouldn't

Glad I could count on you.

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"Sometimes, you just gotta say, 'OK, I still have nine live, two-headed animals' and move on.'' (owner of Coney Island freak show, upon learning he'd been outbid on a 5-legged puppy)

Not going to put down Kerdy's comments at all. In fact, IMHO it just reiterates how little both Orthodox and Catholics really know about what Eastern Catholicism is all about and who they are.

Latin Catholics, sure (when I was a Latin, even the people who told me to "heck them out" after I got tired of Latin shenanigans more or less painted them as Latin Catholics with a nifty 'Eastern' liturgy), but Orthodox? Eastern Catholic churches wouldn't exist if it weren't for Orthodoxy.

That may well be true. But in my experience here at OC.net, there are quite a few EOs (like Kerdy) who can't seem to get their mind around why ECs exist at all.

(And it won't surprise me a bit if someone responds to this with some variation of "And they shouldn't!" - thus proving my point. )